On January 1, 2011 at 2:30 a.m. Redmond Fire and Police Departments responded to an apartment fire at 14820 Redmond Way; Sammamish Ridge Apartments. The cause of the fire is currently unknown and under investigation. A 30-year-old female was transported to a local hospital with unknown injuries. The fire claimed five lives; one 32-year-old male and four children, all under the approximate age of 10. The victims were all in the same apartment on the first floor of the building. A stairway that was undergoing repairs at the time did not interfere with evacuations of people in the building.

Firefighters battled flames from a first story unit, which spread to all three floors of the apartment building. The fire involved three units. The building was legally without a sprinkler system but appeared to have a functioning smoke alarm system. Twelve apartment units were evacuated and all displaced residences have found emergency shelter.

The two-alarm response included firefighters from Bellevue, Eastside Fire, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville. Redmond Fire Investigators are conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire. Redmond Police Detectives, the ATF, the WSP Crime Laboratory, and a Seattle Police accelerant detection canine unit are assisting with the investigation.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Names of the victims will not be released at this time, pending positive identification by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The scene has been secured for the night and the investigation will resume at approximately 8am Sunday morning.